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I prefer to live in Rural America. As a kid i lived for a while in a smallish town with orchards and farms, surrounded by mountains. When I went off to college, I chose a tiny community, and loved the farms and turkey ranches, as well as the beauty of nature. When I was an Adult, I moved East. I love this part of the US, especially for it’s mix of farms and woods. I find it a very peaceful landscape.

Farming is very seasonal. Everything is done in it’s time. Patience is required. There is no hurrying up a crop. Many farmers that I have met have strong religious faith, nurtured in having to trust God to temper the weather and help the seeds grow. This is one reason most farm fields are idle on Sunday.

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Early morning is my favorite time of day. The warm rays of the sun and the strong shadows make everything beautiful. It is easy to be optimistic about the day. My worries seem to disappear. I feel happy!

I love color and reflections. This view of a small town near the courthouse was so breathtaking just after the sun rose, I had to paint it!

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I love small towns. The US is full of them. Most are picturesque, especially around their old downtown. Aurora, Indiana is one of the more picturesque towns I have visited. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River, just downstream from Cincinnati, and is full of beautiful historic business, and many beautiful churches.

Later I will be painting views that include some of those beautiful churches, but here is the view from high on the hill above the business district looking down and toward the river.

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On a late afternoon, after a hard day of work, it is always nice to come home! Home is where we can be ourselves, Home is where the people that love us most live. Home is where most of our happiest memories are made.

I was approached to do this painting by a family who are moving to a new home. This is the house where they have been with their little kids, and have great memories. I tried to capture the warmth of a late fall evening, and the mood of home.

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I hated winter growing up. I remember shoveling snow many days in a row, morning and afternoon, and having snow dump down my neck when shoveling under a tree. Everything was cold, all the lakes were frozen, and the air was very polluted.

Now I dont mind winter. The days are generally in the 40s or 50s, Every now and again we will get a little snow that doesnt last long. Being outside is great, and the views change because the leafs are fallen from the trees. North Carolina has a nice climate.

This painting is of a farm a few miles down the road, on a balmy winter afternoon.

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As I was listening to my friend’s new album. One of the songs was upbeat and happy. I tried to channel the rhythm in creating this painting. There was an overarching tonal thing going on, with some sweet pure notes sprinkled through it as a contrast. Very nice!

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I have a friend that is a very talented musician. He spoke with me about doing an album cover for him. This is one of the ideas we talked about for the cover. It is a fun picture of aliens grooving through space. Lots of fun to paint!

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Painting is fun! I was doing a cubism project with my Painting 1 students, and decided to make something not really cubist, but influenced by early 20th century modernism, playing off some of the doodles I do.

Probably the two most common things i doodle are cartoon people, and fish. I had fun making this whimsical painting. It was a lot less serious than I tend to be, and I think it is great!